As someone who works remotely full-time, I spend a good portion of my day in Zoom meetings and making Loom videos for my co-workers. Unfortunately, I still haven’t discovered a way to set up my home office so that my face is always well lit. In fact, there are many times I find myself struggling between the lighting being too bright and too dark for my computer’s built-in webcam to handle.
Needless to say, when I saw the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar, I was impressed. An all-in-one bar that offers lighting solutions, high-quality video, and clear sound…what could be better than that? Well, as I decided during my testing, not much. In fact, I think this webcam from AnkerWork is going to become a full-time part of my home office.
Designed for Every User’s Setup
The AnkerWork B600 Video Bar is a premium external webcam with a simple design and stylistic elements to elevate its appearance. The device is mostly made of plastic, but has an elegant metal edge along the front and fabric lining all sides. Overall, it’s well-constructed and aesthetically pleasing to look at.
Unlike many of the other top-of-the-line webcams out there, the AnkerWork B600 includes a light bar, microphone, and speakers. This means you can replace a multi-device conferencing setup with a single webcam, cutting down on the number of accessories plugged into your computer at a time. The light bar can also double as a privacy flap, should you need to go off camera quickly. And, if you don’t like the built-in microphone and speakers, that’s okay because the camera also includes a USB-A port that you can use to hook up a supported Anker headset.
That small hang-up aside, I found the camera easy to set up. I tried it on both laptops as well as my monitor, and I didn’t find the camera to be too heavy or large. In fact, I loved the versatility the folding mount offered. I also liked that you can remove the folding mount entirely and attach the camera to a tripod, like the one AnkerWork offers to go with the B600.
If you aren’t using the camera or want to pack it up to take with you, the light bar folds down and doubles as a cover for the lens. The power requirements make it a bit bulky for an “on the go” webcam, but it absolutely is an option.
Configuration Is a Breeze
When you unbox the B600 webcam, the first thing you see is a sheet that prompts you to download the AnkerWork software to your device. This enables you to customize the settings (more on this later) and get the best use out of the camera with your particular workspace. Even without the software installed, though, you can plug the camera into your device and configure it to use.
My Lenovo Yoga laptop (which is still running Windows 10) instantly detected the AnkerWork B600 once I plugged it into the laptop either through the USB-C port or my USB-C docking station. From there, I could choose whether I wanted to use the B600 or my built-in camera for video conferencing.
As I previously mentioned, I also have an older MacBook that I frequently use as well. With my USB-A to USB-C cable, I was also able to hook the camera up to that laptop to test it out. I had zero compatibility issues with macOS, and I was able to use the webcam even before I installed the AnkerWork software.
I used the camera for three different virtual meetings and found the video and sound quality to be fine throughout. The speaker quality isn’t the same as you’d get from external speakers, but neither are the built-in speakers in your laptop. Personally, I could hear the other people I chatted with just fine, and I used it both for a one-on-one meeting and in a group meeting with eight other people.
AnkerWork B600 Mic Test
Customizable Settings Improve Performance
It is possible to use the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar without installing the AnkerWork Software (available for Windows and Mac) on your device. To get the most out of this webcam, though, you definitely will want to take the time to set it up.
The software lets you manually set or change features for the camera, including resolution, lighting, the field of view, and more. Once installed, you can use the left toolbar to select what type of settings you’d like to adjust, and you’ll be able to see your appearance in real-time through the app as well.
When you open the resolution and focus settings, you can choose from 4 resolution options: 360p, 720p, 1080p, and 2K. Additionally, you can change the field of view to 65-degrees, 78-degrees, 95-degrees, or solo-frame. If you select “solo-frame,” the camera will follow you based on motion detection, which could be helpful in certain situations.
If you move down to Image Settings in the left toolbar, you’ll have access to several other settings. You can adjust the brightness, sharpness, saturation, and contrast ratio. Depending on the lighting in your room or what you’re doing with the webcam, these settings can be very helpful. Then, if you need to, you can press the “reset” button to return the settings to their default placement.
Despite all of these helpful items, I personally thought the Light Settings were the most helpful aspect of the software. Here, you can choose whether or not you want the light on or if you’d like it to automatically adjust based on the lighting in the room. Furthermore, you can adjust the brightness of the light bar and the color temperature.
If you close the software, the settings you had will remain if you open an app like Zoom or Skype. You can also simply minimize the software so you can go back and make adjustments as needed based on how the lighting changes in your workspace throughout the day.
Should You Buy the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar?
If you spend a lot of time in virtual meetings or do any sort of video creation from your desk, the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar is definitely worth the investment. It offers a wide variety of features, and the light bar alone makes it stand out from virtually any other camera in this price range.
Personally, I found the B600 easy to unbox and loved that I could “plug and play” with both Windows and Mac. It worked with multiple video conferencing platforms, and I didn’t have any major hang-ups in terms of video or sound quality along the way.
If you have a more complex setup, you will likely need to invest in a longer USB-C cable. Thankfully, the brand of cable doesn’t make a difference, and there are plenty of affordable USB cables out there at any length you could possibly need.
This camera may not be the best option for those who move around throughout the day or those who need a webcam they can take between the office and their home. However, if you plan to mostly leave the camera in one place, it’s one of the best options out there right now.
